The 2006 San Diego Padres season was the 38th season in franchise history. The Padres captured their second consecutive National League West crown, with a record of 88–74, and for the first time in franchise history back-to-back postseason appearances, and three consecutive winning seasons. Although the Padres final record equaled that of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Padres record of 13-5 against the Dodgers awarded them the official division title. The 2006 season also marked the end of Bruce Bochy's tenure as manager of the team, after 24 seasons overall, 12 seasons as manager (1995–2006), winning 4 division titles (1996, 1998, 2005, 2006). The Padres were eliminated in the 2006 National League Division Series by the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, losing 3–1.

June 6, 2006: David Freese was drafted in the 9th round of the 2006 amateur draft.[7]

August 24, 2006: Russell Branyan was traded by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later and Evan Meek (minors). The San Diego Padres sent Dale Thayer (minors) (September 15, 2006) to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to complete the trade.[8]

1.
National League
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Both leagues currently have 15 teams. The two league champions of 1903 arranged to compete against each other in the inaugural World Series, after the 1904 champions failed to reach a similar agreement, the two leagues formalized the World Series as an arrangement between the leagues. National League teams have won 48 of the 112 World Series contested from 1903 to 2016, the 2016 National League champions are the Chicago Cubs. By 1875, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was dangerously weak, additionally, Hulbert had a problem—five of his star players were threatened with expulsion from the NAPBBP because Hulbert had signed them to his club using what were considered questionable means. Hulbert had a vested interest in creating his own league. After recruiting St. Louis privately, four western clubs met in Louisville, Kentucky, Boston Red Stockings, the dominant team in the N. A. Hartford Dark Blues from the N. A. Mutual of New York from the N. A. St. Louis Brown Stockings from the N. A, the only strong club from 1875 excluded in 1876 was a second one in Philadelphia, often called the White Stockings or Phillies. The first game in National League history was played on April 22,1876, at Philadelphias Jefferson Street Grounds, 25th & Jefferson, the new leagues authority was tested after the first season. The National League operated with six clubs during 1877 and 1878, over the next several years, various teams joined and left the struggling league. By 1880, six of the eight members had folded. The two remaining original NL franchises, Boston and Chicago, remain in operation today as the Atlanta Braves, in 1883 the New York Gothams and Philadelphia Phillies began National League play. Both teams remain in the NL today, the Phillies in their original city, the NL encountered its first strong rival organization when the American Association began play in 1882. The A. A. played in cities where the NL did not have teams, offered Sunday games and alcoholic beverages in locales where permitted, the National League and the American Association participated in a version of the World Series seven times during their ten-year coexistence. These contests were less organized than the modern Series, lasting as few as three games and as many as fifteen, with two Series ending in disputed ties, the NL won four times and the A. A. only once, in 1886. Starting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1887, the National League began to raid the American Association for franchises to replace NL teams that folded and this undercut the stability of the A. A. Other new leagues that rose to compete with the National League were the Union Association, the Union Association was established in 1884 and folded after playing only one season, its league champion St. Louis Maroons joining the NL. The NL suffered many defections of star players to the Players League, the Brooklyn, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New York franchises of the NL absorbed their Players League counterparts. The labor strife of 1890 hastened the downfall of the American Association, after the 1891 season, the A. A. disbanded and merged with the NL, which became known legally for the next decade as the National League and American Association

2.
1969 Major League Baseball season
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The 1969 Major League Baseball season was celebrated as the 100th anniversary of professional baseball, honoring the first professional touring baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. It was the first season of what is now called the Divisional Era, the winners of each division would compete against each other in a League Championship Series, then best-of-five, to determine the pennant winners that would face each other in the World Series. In a year marked by the expansion of the decade, the New York Mets. East Division with a league-best 100–62 record, and sweeping the N. L, West Division Champion Atlanta Braves in three games in the first National League Championship Series, the Miracle Mets became the first expansion team to win a pennant. East Division Champion Orioles, holders of the best record in baseball, West Division Champion Minnesota Twins in three games in the first American League Championship Series. The upstart Mets upset the heavily favored Orioles and won the World Series title in five games, in an effort to counteract a trend of low-scoring games, Major League Baseball adopted two measures during the Baseball Winter Meetings held in December 1968. The strike zone was reduced to the area over home plate between the armpits and the top of the knees of a batter. Also, the height of the mound was reduced from 15 inches to 10 inches. A save became an official MLB statistic to reward relief pitchers who preserve a lead while finishing a game, MLB called for a four-team expansion to take place in 1971 at the 1967 Winter Meetings, the first expansion since 1962. However, there was a complication, influential U. S, the Leagues agreed and moved expansion up to 1969, with the AL putting one of its new franchises in Kansas City. Ewing Kauffman won the bidding for that franchise, naming it the Kansas City Royals, the other AL team was awarded to Seattle. A consortium led by Dewey Soriano and William Daley won the bidding for the Seattle franchise, and named it the Seattle Pilots, a salute to the harbor pilots of the Puget Sound maritime industry. In the NL, one franchise was awarded to San Diego, California, arnholdt Smith, former owner of the AAA Pacific Coast Leagues San Diego Padres, won the bidding for the San Diego franchise, also naming it the Padres. Charles Bronfman, owner of Seagram, won the bidding for the Montreal franchise, naming them the Expos and this was the last NL expansion until the 1993 season. As part of the 1969 expansion, each league was to be split into two divisions of six each, with each league holding a best-of-five League Championship Series to decide the pennant. The AL was divided purely along geographic lines, but when it came to assign divisions in the NL and this alignment also addressed concerns that putting the leagues three strongest clubs—St. Louis, San Francisco, and the Cubs—in the west would result in divisional unequity, the Padres and Expos each finished with 110 losses and at the bottom of their respective divisions. The Royals did better, finishing 69–93 and in fourth in the AL West, the legal fallout of the battle would lead eventually to the expansion for the 1977 season

3.
Petco Park
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Petco Park is a baseball park located in the downtown area of San Diego, California, United States, that is home to the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. The park opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium, which the Padres shared with the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League, Petco Park is named after the San Diego-based pet supplies retailer Petco, which paid for the naming rights until 2026. In addition to baseball, the park is used as venue for concerts, soccer, golf. The ballpark is located between 7th and 10th Avenues, south of J Street, the southern side of the stadium is bounded by San Diego Trolley light rail tracks along the north side of Harbor Drive. The portion of K Street between 7th and 10th is now closed to automobiles and serves as a promenade along the back of the left. Two of the stadiums outfield entrance areas are located at K Streets intersections with 7th and 10th Avenues, the main entrance, behind home plate, is at the south end of Park Boulevard and faces the San Diego Trolley station 12th & Imperial Transit Center. The ballpark was constructed by San Diego Ballpark Builders, a partnership with Clark Construction, Nielsen Dillingham and Douglas E. Barnhart, the construction cost of over $450 million was partially funded by the Center City Development Corporation and the San Diego Redevelopment Agency. The stadium was intended to be part of a plan to revitalize San Diegos aging downtown. The very first ball park home plate was placed by a boy at the time, Marlon Cook who volunteered through his Boys. The ballpark was scheduled to open for the 2002 season, however. One portion of this was a decision which nullified a ballot proposition which had already been passed. Another delay resulted from the Western Metal Supply Co. building having been declared a landmark in 1978. The resulting delays required the Padres to play the 2002 and 2003 seasons at Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium, the first baseball game ever played at Petco Park, on March 11,2004, was the first game of a four-team NCAA invitational tournament hosted by San Diego State University. The San Diego State Aztecs baseball team, of which retired Padres player Tony Gwynn was the head coach and it was the largest attendance for a game in college baseball history. Lance Zawadzki recorded the first hit, when he hit a double, on April 8,2004, there was lighthearted pushing and shoving before the gates opened around 4 p. m. as numerous Padres faithful tried to be the first to enter Petco Park. But Brent Walker,17, had a distinction all to himself, im very proud to be the first fan to come in, said Walker, who was wearing a San Francisco Giants jersey. The San Diego Padres played their first regular game and defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-3 in 10 innings. On April 15,2004 Mark Loretta hit the first Padre home run off of Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers and it was caught by Mike Hill, a bartender at the Kansas City Barbecue

4.
San Diego
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San Diego is a major city in California, United States. It is in San Diego County, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, approximately 120 miles south of Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico. With an estimated population of 1,394,928 as of July 1,2015, San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest in California. It is part of the San Diego–Tijuana conurbation, the second-largest transborder agglomeration between the US and a country after Detroit–Windsor, with a population of 4,922,723 people. San Diego has been called the birthplace of California, historically home to the Kumeyaay people, San Diego was the first site visited by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States. Upon landing in San Diego Bay in 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain, the Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769, formed the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, San Diego became part of the newly independent Mexico, in 1850, California became part of the United States following the Mexican–American War and the admission of California to the union. The city is the seat of San Diego County and is the center of the region as well as the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. San Diegos main economic engines are military and defense-related activities, tourism, international trade, the presence of the University of California, San Diego, with the affiliated UCSD Medical Center, has helped make the area a center of research in biotechnology. The original inhabitants of the region are now known as the San Dieguito, the area of San Diego has been inhabited by the Kumeyaay people. The first European to visit the region was Portuguese-born explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailing under the flag of Castile, sailing his flagship San Salvador from Navidad, New Spain, Cabrillo claimed the bay for the Spanish Empire in 1542, and named the site San Miguel. In November 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno was sent to map the California coast, in May 1769, Gaspar de Portolà established the Fort Presidio of San Diego on a hill near the San Diego River. It was the first settlement by Europeans in what is now the state of California, in July of the same year, Mission San Diego de Alcalá was founded by Franciscan friars under Junípero Serra. By 1797, the mission boasted the largest native population in Alta California, with over 1,400 neophytes living in, Mission San Diego was the southern anchor in California of the historic mission trail El Camino Real. Both the Presidio and the Mission are National Historic Landmarks, in 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain, and San Diego became part of the Mexican territory of Alta California. In 1822, Mexico began attempting to extend its authority over the territory of Alta California. The fort on Presidio Hill was gradually abandoned, while the town of San Diego grew up on the land below Presidio Hill. The Mission was secularized by the Mexican government in 1833, the 432 residents of the town petitioned the governor to form a pueblo, and Juan María Osuna was elected the first alcalde, defeating Pío Pico in the vote

5.
John Moores (baseball)
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John Jay Moores is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, and the former owner of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. Moores was born in San Antonio, Texas—the eldest son of Jack, Jack Broderick abandoned his wife, son John, and two younger sons in 1948. In 1950, Katherine wed again, to Cyrus Red Moores, a photographer with the Corpus Christi Caller newspaper, Red Moores, by then in insurance, moved the family to Houston, Texas in 1960, and John spent his high school years there. He left Texas A&M University before graduating and became a programmer for IBM and he later studied at the University of Houston where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in economics and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Houston Law Center. He resigned as Peregrine chairman in February 2003 as part of the companys Chapter 11 reorganization, in 1994 Moores purchased the San Diego Padres professional baseball team from Tom Werner. In 2009, he began the process of selling the Padres to a group of 12 investors. The deal fell through in 2012, and Moores instead sold the team for $800 million to a group led by Ron Fowler and he continues to operate in the IT Service Management market with continued investments through his venture capital firm JMI Equity. C. It was reported in 2016 that Moores became involved in a takeover bid of English Championship club. His 1991 contribution of US$51 million to the University of Houston was the largest in U. S. history to a public university and he served on the University of Houston System Board of Regents from 1991 to 1994. In 1999 he was appointed Regent of the University of California by Governor Gray Davis until he resigned for unknown reasons in 2007, as UC regent, he worked to make sure Proposition 209 was implemented. In 2005 he was elected chair of the Carter Center at Emory University, most recently, Moores is a Member of the Board of Trustees for the Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley. The Center is focused on finding solutions to address the crisis of extreme poverty, Moores is also the founder of the River Blindness Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to research and treatment of Onchocerciasis, the second most common cause of infectious blindness. In 2016 Moores began negotiations to buy Nottingham Forest Football Club in the UK, John and Becky Moores met in a high school history class in Texas and married in 1963. They have four children, two biological and two adopted. In February 2008, Moores wife Becky filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, as part of potential settlement in the divorce, it was reported that Moores is prepared to part with the family home on a golf course at Pebble Beach, California. The property is overlooking the Pacific and the 18th fairway of one of the worlds most glorious golf courses, the divorce also prompted a major overhaul of the San Diego Padres roster and then the sale of Moores majority ownership of the MLB team. Moores spent the majority of his time in Texas and refused to attend Padres, in 2013, Moores got married for the second time, to Dianne Rosenberg

6.
Kevin Towers
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Kevin S. Towers is an American executive in Major League Baseball. He served as the General Manager of the San Diego Padres from 1995 to 2009, Towers attended Brigham Young University, where he played college baseball for the BYU Cougars baseball team in the Western Athletic Conference. As a pitcher, Towers was selected to the All-WAC team and he was drafted by the Padres in the first round of the secondary phase of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft, and was named a Texas League all-star in 1984. Towers pitched seven seasons in San Diego’s farm system before a series of arm operations ended his career at the AAA level, overall, he went 29-40 with a 4.64 ERA in 619 innings, including 82 starts. Continuing his career in baseball, Towers became a coach for minor league Single-A Spokane Indians in 1989 and 1990. He served as a Padres scout from 1989 through 1991, after scouting for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1991–93, Towers rejoined the Padres as scouting director from 1993 to 1995. Towers became the Padres seventh general manager in 1995, succeeding Randy Smith, as GM, Towers led the Padres to four division championships and an appearance in the 1998 World Series. The Padres also finished last in their division five times, Towers was known for his ability to find talented pitchers that many other teams had released. On October 3rd,2009, the Padres fired Towers after two disappointing seasons, Towers joined the New York Yankees as a special assignment scout for the 2010 season. On September 22,2010 he was hired to be the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a result of the 29-game turnaround, Towers finished third in The Sporting News Major League Baseball Executive of the Year voting. Only the New York Yankees’ Brian Cashman, Detroit Tigers’ Dave Dombrowski, Cincinnati Reds’ Walt Jocketty, with 1,207 wins as a General Manager entering 2012, Towers was one of the eight GMs to post at least 1,200 victories during their career. It was duly noted by journalists that the Diamondbacks pitchers actually hit 60 batters last season, on May 17,2014, the Diamondbacks hired Tony LaRussa to oversee Towers and all baseball operations. The Diamondbacks dismissed Towers from the manager position on September 5, while offering him another position in the organization. In 2015, he joined the Cincinnati Reds as a scout and special assistant to the general manager, career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference Baseball America Executive Database

7.
Bruce Bochy
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Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants for the 2007 season, Bochy was the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons and he has led the Giants to three World Series Championships, and also led the Padres to one World Series appearance during his tenure in San Diego. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the teams manager and he has participated in all five postseason appearances in Padres history, as a backup catcher in 1984 and as their manager in 1996,1998,2005, and 2006. In 1998, he led the Padres to their first National League pennant in 14 years and it was the first for the Giants franchise since 1954. Bochy returned to the World Series for the time in 2012, also with the Giants. He reached the World Series a fourth time in 2014, and managed his third World Championship in 5 years, Bochy is both the first foreign-born manager to reach the World Series and the first European-born manager to win the World Series. On July 23,2013, he became the 21st manager with 1,500 wins, Bochy is one of just eight Major Leaguers to be born in France, where his father, Sgt. Major Gus Bochy, was stationed as a U. S. Army NCO at the time, growing up, the Bochy family moved to the Panama Canal Zone, South Carolina, northern Virginia, and ultimately Melbourne, Florida. Bochy graduated from Melbourne High School, where he was a teammate of Darrell Hammond of Saturday Night Live fame. As a catcher, Bochy played with the Houston Astros, New York Mets, in 802 career at-bats, he hit.239 with 26 home runs. With the Astros, he backed up Alan Ashby. Bochy was traded to the Mets on February 11,1981, two years later, he was released by the Mets and signed with the Padres as a free agent. With the Padres, he was the backup to Terry Kennedy from 1983–86, in 1988, Bochy spent his final season playing in Triple-A Las Vegas where he served as a player-coach, batting.231 in 53 games. With the Astros, Bochy was behind the plate in Game 4 of the 1980 NLCS versus the Philadelphia Phillies when Pete Rose ran over Bochy to score the run in the top of the tenth inning. On July 1,1985, Bochy hit a tenth-inning walk-off home run off Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros, the only walk-off home run allowed in Ryans career. Bochy was behind the plate on September 11,1985, when Pete Rose, now with the Cincinnati Reds, collected his record-breaking 4, after retiring as a player, Bochy was hired by Padres general manager Jack McKeon to manage in their minor league system. He started the 1989 season assisting the Class-A Riverside Red Wave before leaving to manage the Short-Season Class-A Spokane Indians, in 1990, Bochy took over as manager of the Red Wave, finishing with a 64–78 record. In 1991, Bochy followed the team to Adelanto, California, where became the High Desert Mavericks

8.
4SD
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4SD, commonly referred to as Channel 4 San Diego is an American cable television channel serving San Diego, California that is owned by Cox Television. More or less, it operated as a regional sports network for San Diego County, with a mixed format resembling that of Denver-based regional sports network Altitude Sports. In March 2009, Time Warner Cable began carrying 4SD on its systems in the Yuma, Arizona-El Centro, California market and the Desert Cities. This was due to the fact that the San Diego Padres maintain territorial rights in areas of Riverside County east of the San Jacinto Mountains, in June 2010, Time Warner Cable began carrying the channels high definition feed on its Desert Cities systems. Cox San Diego agreed to some games from the first season of the Fall Experimental Football League in October and November 2014. 4SD now serves as a locally originated entertainment channel, with many of its programs airing several times each week, shows broadcast on the channel include Sam the Cooking Guy, BackBeat, California Life with Heather Dawson, Forefront and Cox California Edition. Although the channel still carries some programs, 4SD no longer airs live sports events. In 2001, the Padres and Cox Communications signed a 10-year extension for broadcast rights, as a result of the deal, the majority of these non-televised games are usually mid-week daytime games, which air in time periods more subject to lower viewership. On April 21,2011, 4SD manager Dennis Morgigno announced during a meeting with his employees that 4SD will probably not renew the Padres television rights for the 2012 season onwards. Fox Sports Net offered the Padres a 20-year contract with rights fees ranging from $17 million to $22 million a year with some reports of up to $70 million a year. Fox Sports won the contract, resulting in the creation of a new sports network to televise the games. Although 4SD does not carry live Charger game telecasts, the channel does air ancillary programming related to the NFL team including interview shows, from the channels 1996 inception until 2006, 4SD carried sports events from the Mountain West Conference, in partnership with regional sports network Sportswest. On September 1,2006, the Mountain West Conference formed its own sports network, in 1998, 4SD obtained the broadcast rights to USD Toreros basketball home games that are not nationally televised. In 2008, 4SD partnered with Comcast SportsNet California and Comcast SportsNet Northwest to provide coverage of West Coast Conference mens basketball. 4SD previously aired all San Diego State University Aztec football/basketball game that was not on ESPN or ESPN2, however, in August 2011, Cox announced that 4SD would not renew its broadcast deal with the university for the 2011-12 basketball season. In addition to its carriage on Cox Communications, 4SD is available on San Diego Countys other major cable provider, 4SD is not available on satellite providers DirecTV and Dish Network or to IPTV provider AT&T U-verse. This is because 4SD is distributed via fiber optic relays and its feed is not uplinked to satellite, on January 20,2010, the FCC voted 4-1 to close the terrestrial loophole. The ruling, however, did not dictate a maximum amount that providers were allowed to charge providers to carry microwave- or fiber optic-distributed channels

9.
Matt Vasgersian
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Matthew Edward Matt Vasgersian is an American sportscaster and television host. Vasgersian is currently an announcer for Fox Sports coverage of Major League Baseball. In the past he has served as an announcer for Fox Sports National Football League coverage, NBC Sports coverage of the Olympic Games and he formerly called play-by-play for the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Diego Padres. Vasgersian started his career as a child actor. While a student at USC, he appeared on The New Dating Game, winning a trip to Telluride, Vasgersian has worked in baseball since 1991, starting with a six-year stint in the Minor Leagues as a play-by-play announcer. Vasgersian was with the Padres for seven seasons when it was announced he would be joining MLB Network, later that week, it was reported that Vasgersian had signed a deal with MLB Network to become the networks first studio host. Vasgersian joined Fox Sports in 2006, from 2006-2008, Vasgersian worked on Fox NFL telecasts, teaming with J. C. Pearson on the networks #6 broadcast team. In previous years, he had done select games for the network, Vasgersians Fox football resume included calling BCS games for the network, working the Orange Bowl in 2007 and the Fiesta Bowl 2008 and 2009. Starting in 2007, he worked on Fox MLB telecasts of the Game of the Week. In 2012, he began hosting the MLB pregame show, though he still occasionally called games on a fill-in basis, in 2014, he was moved back to the broadcast booth, working with John Smoltz on one of the networks #2 broadcast teams. In this role, he and Smoltz worked on postseason telecasts during the Division Series, in 2016, John Smoltz moved up the lead broadcast team and in the World Series Vasgersians new partner was Buck Martinez. Throughout the MLB regular season, Vasgersian calls play-by-play for MLB Network’s Thursday Night Baseball game package and he called Game 2 of the 2012 ALDS between the Detroit Tigers and the Oakland Athletics on October 7. He and Jim Kaat called Game 3 of the 2013 American League Division Series, from 2012-2014, when he hosted Foxs MLB pregame, Vasgersian did not host programming on MLB Network during the All-Star Game and the postseason. Vasgersian became a co-host, with Lauren Shehadi and Mark DeRosa, of MLB Networks show MLB Central, Vasgersian also did commentary for MLB Networks coverage of the All-Star Game in 2015. Vasgersian first gained national exposure doing play-by-play for the XFL football league in 2001, at NBCs behest, Vasgersian returned to the first team broadcast halfway through the season. He has also emceed various sports specials and other programs, such as the International World Championships of Rock Paper Scissors and he also called USC Trojans mens basketball for FSN West from 2004-06. Vasgersian has also worked on an Ultimate Fighting Championship broadcast, filling in for Mike Goldberg, Goldberg was working on Fox Sports Nets college football telecast on the night of UFC56, so Vasgersian provided play-by-play alongside regular color commentator Joe Rogan. Vasgersian is the commentator in every installment of MLB, The Show since its debut in 2006 with Eric Karros, Steve Lyons and formerly Dave Campbell and Rex Hudler

10.
XEPRS-AM
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XEPRS-AM, known as The Mighty 1090, is an American-operated sports talk radio station targeting English-speaking listeners in San Diego. Its signal originates from Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico, XEPRS was the flagship station of the San Diego Padres from 2004-2016, San Diego Toreros mens basketball, San Diego State Aztecs football and basketball, and the San Diego Gulls. The station also used to air games for the Anaheim Ducks, Wolfman Jack immortalized XEPRS in the George Lucas movie American Graffiti. XEPRS is a Class A,50,000 Watt clear-channel station with a non-directional antenna daytime, XEPRS broadcasts on the frequency of 1090 kHz, a United States and Mexican clear-channel frequency. Todays 1090 AM started out as 150, 000-watt XERB on 730 kHz, the original concession was awarded to Manuel P. Barbachano, grandson of one-time governor of Yucatán Miguel Barbachano. The concession was sold to Radiodifusora Internacional, S. A. in 1939, not long after, XERB was sold to Interamericana de Radio, S. A. in 1950. In the early 1960s, Robert Weston Smith was living in Del Rio, Texas, after several violent incidents at XERFs transmitter, Smith and partner Marvin Kosofsky purchased daytime-only AM station KUXL in 1964 in Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota. Smith relocated to Minnesota and never appeared as Wolfman Jack on KUXL, in 1965, Smith made an arrangement with the U. S. agent for XERB. Smith began selling ad time on the Mighty 1090 and recording Wolfman Jack shows for his new affiliate, Wolfman and his associates were able to make the station turn a huge profit by selling programming to radio proselytizers in 15-30 minute blocks. Because they had such a following and made so much money. Wolfman began broadcasting pre-recorded shows on three different Mexican stations at different times of the day, XERB, XERF, and XEG1050 kHz in Monterrey, according to his biography, by 1971 Wolfman was making a profit of almost $50,000 a month. The Mexican company executives that leased XERB noticed this and got greedy and they wanted to throw him out and make all the money themselves. The owners bribed Mexican officials into politically squeezing Wolfman off the air, the Mexican government acquiesced by passing a law prohibiting Pentecostal or religious programming on Mexican airwaves. Since XERB made most of its profits from airtime sold to the prayer-cloth preachers, in one stroke they cleaned out 80 percent of all the money we were expecting to make. He and Kosofsky had to control of the station to the Mexican owners. With Wolfman out of the way, the owners tried to duplicate his successful formula. They changed the letters to XEPRS-AM and programmed soul music, calling the station “The Soul Express. ”Wolfman still broadcast for over a year while under the new ownership, April 15,1972 was the last day Wolfman ever held sway over the Mexican border airwaves. Airchecks of that last show are available online

11.
Jerry Coleman
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Gerald Francis Jerry Coleman was a Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees and manager of the San Diego Padres for one year. Coleman was named the rookie of the year in 1949 by Associated Press, Yankees teams on which he was a player appeared in six World Series during his career, winning four times. Coleman served as a Marine Corps pilot in WW II and the Korean War, flying missions with the VMSB-341 Torrid Turtles. He later became a broadcaster, and he was honored in 2005 by the National Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C, Frick Award for his broadcasting contributions. Born in San Jose, California, Coleman graduated from Lowell High School and he played six years in the Yankees minor league system before reaching the big club in 1949. Coleman hit.275 in his first year and led all second basemen in fielding percentage and he was the Associated Press rookie of the year in 1949, and finishing third in balloting by Baseball Writers Association of America. Coleman avoided a sophomore jinx by earning a selection to the All-Star team in 1950 and he then shined in the World Series with brilliant defense, earning him the BBWAAs Babe Ruth Award as the seriess most valuable player. While a Marine Corps aviator he flew 120 combat missions, and received numerous honors and medals including two Distinguished Flying Crosses. In recent years Coleman received numerous honors, including, being inducted into the USMC Sports Hall of Fame, Coleman was the only Major League Baseball player to have seen combat in two wars. Colemans career declined after he was injured the season, relegating him to a bench role. He was forced to retire after the 1957 season, but he left on a good note and he appeared in the World Series six times in his career, winning four of them. In 1958, New York Yankees general manager George Weiss named Coleman personnel director, roy Hamey terminated Coleman from that position, when Harney became the Yankees general manager. It was only after Coleman met with Howard Cosell that Coleman considered becoming a broadcaster, in 1960, Coleman began a broadcasting career with CBS television, conducting pregame interviews on the networks Game of the Week broadcasts. His broadcasting career ended that year, he was in the midst of an interview with Cookie Lavagetto when the national anthem began playing. Coleman kept the interview going through the anthem, prompting an avalanche of angry letters to CBS, in 1963 he began a seven-year run calling Yankees games on WCBS radio and WPIX television. Colemans WPIX call of ex-teammate Mickey Mantles 500th career home run in 1967 was brief and from the heart, Heres the payoff pitch. During his time broadcasting with the Yankees he lived in Ridgewood, New Jersey, which he described as being 19.9 miles from Yankee Stadium and he was known in San Diego for his signature catchphrase, You can hang a star on that one, baby. Which he would deliver after a spectacular play, during home games, the phrase would be accompanied by a tinsel star swinging from a fishing pole that emanated from his broadcast booth

12.
Ted Leitner
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Theodore Ted Leitner is a former KFMB News 8 sportscaster and current radio play-by-play announcer for San Diego Padres baseball and San Diego State Aztecs mens basketball and football. He is also a former host on KFMB radio in San Diego, due to a hectic schedule, he left KFMB just three days shy of his 25th anniversary at that station. He kept his job with the San Diego Padres and later XX Sports Radio. His association with the Padres dates back to 1980, Leitner was born in 1947 in the Bronx, New York and later at age 8 moved to Yonkers, New York, a city that borders New York City. He played football for Roosevelt High School in Yonkers, after high school, he attended and graduated from Oklahoma State University and then completed a masters degree at Oklahoma University in Norman, Oklahoma. Before starting his tenure in San Diego, Leitner worked as a broadcaster in Hartford, Connecticut. He has six sons and one daughter and he has been divorced four times. Leitner is currently the commentator for San Diego Padres baseball, San Diego State Aztecs football and he is known for his outspoken style, and for referring to the team as My Padres when they are winning and/or playing well. When the team is losing or in a bad stretch, he refers to the team as Your Padres, for years, Leitner did television on the Padres cable TV network, as well as doing the 5 and 11 pm sportscasts for KFMB-TV. His home run call is ball going, ball gone, Leitner has a history of mocking those who like NHL hockey, and those who complain to the station that he does not show highlights. To appease hockey fans, Ted would occasionally show a clip of an NHL game. If only one NHL game was being played on a given night, the 3 or 4 goals would then be shown in rapidly edited fashion. Leitner has also dabbled in news and political commentary during his career, one of his most notable programs was when the guest was entertainer and outspoken Bush administration critic Harry Belafonte. On the 20-minute segment, Belafonte would condemn the entire Bush administration, Leitner has six sons and one daughter. His sons are named, in order of age, Mark, Matthew, Jordan, Nick, Ryan and he rarely discusses his many failed marriages

13.
Tim Flannery (baseball)
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Timothy Earl Flannery is a former Major League Baseball player who spent eleven seasons with the San Diego Padres, from 1979 to 1989. He was the 3rd base coach of the San Francisco Giants from 2007–2014 and he is also the nephew of former Major League Baseball player Hal Smith. Flannery earned all-league honors while playing for Anaheim High School, where he was also elected Homecoming King as a senior and he was drafted in the sixth round of the 1978 Major League Baseball draft by the Padres out of Chapman University in California. Standing at 511 tall and weighing 175 lbs, Flannery batted left-handed but threw right-handed. In his first season in the minors, Flannery batted.350 for the California League Reno Silver Sox, in 1979, he batted.345 with six home runs and 71 runs batted in to receive a September call-up to the majors. Flannery made his league debut 26 days before his 22nd birthday. He batted lead-off and played second base against the San Francisco Giants at Jack Murphy Stadium in his first game on September 3,1979, Flannery was one for three and drove in the second run of the Padres 3-0 victory. His minor league success did not translate to major success as he hit just.154 in 65 big league at bats. He split 1980 between the Padres and their triple A affiliate, the Hawaii Islanders, with Hawaii, Flannery batted.346, however, he hit only.240 in the majors that year. In 1981, he appeared in 37 games and batted.254. Flannerys first full league season without spending any time in the minors was 1982. It wasnt until his season,1983, that Flannery hit his first Major League home run—a solo shot off the Chicago Cubs Chuck Rainey. Flannery reached the post-season for the time in his career in 1984. He made three appearances in the 1984 National League Championship Series and reached base all three times. Trailing 3-2 in game four of the series, Flannery hit a single in the fifth inning. In game five, he reached on a ball that trickled through the legs of Cubs first baseman Leon Durham to score the tying run. In his only at-bat in the 1984 World Series, Flannery hit an eighth inning pinch hit single off Jack Morris in game four, Flannery enjoyed his best year the following season. Having been used all over the infield up to point in his career

14.
XEMO-AM
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XEMO-AM or La Poderosa 860 AM is a Spanish-language radio station that is based in Tijuana, but on a clear day, the signal can be heard as far away as Los Angeles. The station plays music and is the only Spanish language AM station in San Diego that broadcasts music that reaches a far distance. XEMO is operated by San Diego based Uniradio, Inc. with the concession, Uniradio also owns several Spanish language radio stations that serve the San Diego-Tijuana radio market. XEMO is also the Spanish flagship radio station of the San Diego Padres, XEMO received its first concession on January 2,1934. It was owned by Fernando Federico Fereira until 1966, when it was sold to Gustavo Faist Fernandez, in turn, Faist transferred the station to Gustavo E. Astiazaran Rosas in 1969. In 1973, the concession was placed under its current concessionaire

15.
2007 San Diego Padres season
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The San Diego Padres 2007 season began with the Padres attempt to win a third consecutive NL West title. November 8,2006, Kevin Kouzmanoff was traded by the Cleveland Indians with Andrew Brown to the San Diego Padres for Josh Barfield, december 20,2006, Marcus Giles was signed as a Free Agent with the San Diego Padres. January 3,2007, Pete Laforest was signed as a Free Agent with the San Diego Padres, the Padres ended tied with the Colorado Rockies for both second place in the NL West as well as the National League Wild Card. A tie-breaker was played on October 1,2007 in Denver to determine which team would continue on to post-season play, the game lasted 13 innings through four hours and 40 minutes. The Rockies won the Wild Card spot with a score of 9 to 8. September 4,2007, Pete Laforest was selected off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies from the San Diego Padres, LEAGUE CHAMPIONS, San Antonio San Diego Padres batting statistics on ESPN. com San Diego Padres pitching statistics on ESPN. com

16.
San Diego Padres
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The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball franchise based in San Diego, California. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League West division, along with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the NL pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, as of 2015, they have had 14 winning seasons in franchise history. The Padres are the major professional sports franchise to be located in San Diego. The Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League team that arrived in San Diego in 1936 and that minor league franchise won the PCL title in 1937, led by 18-year-old Ted Williams, the future Hall-of-Famer who was a native of San Diego. The teams name, Spanish for fathers, refers to the Spanish Franciscan friars who founded San Diego in 1769. In 1969, the Padres joined the ranks of Major League Baseball as one of four new teams, along with the Montreal Expos, the Kansas City Royals. Arnholt Smith, a prominent San Diego businessman and former owner of the PCL Padres whose interests included banking, tuna fishing, hotels, real estate and an airline. The teams fortunes improved as they won five National League West titles and reached the World Series twice, in 1984 and in 1998. The Padres main draw during the 1980s and 1990s was Tony Gwynn and they moved into their current stadium, Petco Park, in 2004. As of 2016, the Padres are the team in the MLB yet to throw a no-hitter since their addition to the league in 1969. The team has played its spring training games at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria and they share the stadium with the Seattle Mariners. From 1969 to 1993, the Padres held spring training in Yuma, due to the short driving distance and direct highway route, Yuma was very popular with Padres fans, and many fans would travel by car from San Diego for spring training games. Throughout the teams history, the San Diego Padres have used six different logos, the original team colors were blue and red before changing to gold and brown in the 70s. Their first logo depicts a friar swinging a bat with Padres written at the top standing in a sun-like figure with San Diego Padres on the exterior of it. The Swinging Friar has popped up on the uniform on and off ever since although the head of the friar has been tweaked from the original in recent years, in 1985, the Padres switched to using a script-like logo in which Padres was written sloped up. That would later become a script logo for the Padres, the teams colors were changed to brown and orange and remained this way through the 1990 season. In 1989, the Padres took the scripted Padres logo that was used from 1985 to 1988, in 1991, the logo was changed to a silver ring with the Padres script changed from brown to blue

17.
Los Angeles Dodgers
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League West division. Established in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the moved to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. They played for four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving to their current home of Dodger Stadium in 1962, the Dodgers as a franchise have won six World Series titles and 21 National League pennants. 11 NL MVP award winners have played for the Dodgers, winning a total of 13 MVP Awards, Eight Cy Young Award winners have pitched for the Dodgers, winning a total of twelve Cy Young Awards. The team has also produced 17 Rookie of the Year Award winners, including four consecutive from 1979 to 1982 and five consecutive from 1992 to 1996. In the 20th century, the team, then known as the Robins, won pennants in 1916 and 1920. In the 1930s, the changed its name to the Dodgers. In 1941, the Dodgers captured their third National League pennant and this marked the onset of the Dodgers–Yankees rivalry, as the Dodgers would face them in their next six World Series appearances. Following the 1957 season the team left Brooklyn, in just their second season in Los Angeles, the Dodgers won their second World Series title, beating the Chicago White Sox in six games in 1959. The 1963 sweep was their victory against the Yankees. The Dodgers won four pennants in 1966,1974,1977 and 1978. They went on to win the World Series again in 1981, the early 1980s were affectionately dubbed Fernandomania. The Dodgers share a rivalry with the San Francisco Giants. Both teams moved west for the 1958 season, the Giants have won two more World Series, the Dodgers have won 21 National League pennants, while the Giants hold the record with 23. When the two teams were based in New York, the Giants won five World Series championships, after the move to California, the Dodgers have won five in Los Angeles, the Giants have won three in San Francisco. The Dodgers were founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Atlantics, taking the name of a team that had played in Brooklyn before them. The team joined the American Association in 1884 and won the AA championship in 1889 before joining the National League in 1890 and they promptly won the NL Championship their first year in the League

18.
World Series
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The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball in North America, contested since 1903 between the American League champion team and the National League champion team. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a playoff. As the series is played in October, during the season in North America. As of 2016, the World Series has been contested 112 times, with the AL winning 64, the 2016 World Series took place between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs. Seven games were played, with the Cubs victorious after game seven, the final score was 8–7, the game went into extra innings after a tied score of 6–6. This was the third World Series won by the Cubs, as well as their first title since 1908, in the National League, the St. As of 2016, no team has won consecutive World Series championships since the New York Yankees in 1998,1999, all championships were awarded to the team with the best record at the end of the season, without a postseason series being played. From 1884 to 1890, the National League and the American Association faced each other in a series of games at the end of the season to determine an overall champion. These series were disorganized in comparison to the modern World Series, the number of games played ranged from as few as three in 1884, to a high of fifteen in 1887. Both the 1885 and 1890 Series ended in ties, each team having won three games with one tie game, the series was promoted and referred to as The Championship of the United States, Worlds Championship Series, or Worlds Series for short. In his book Krakatoa, The Day the World Exploded, August 27,1883, Simon Winchester mentions in passing that the World Series was named for the New York World newspaper, but this view is disputed. Until about 1960, some sources treated the 19th-century Series on a basis with the post-19th-century series. After about 1930, however, many authorities list the start of the World Series in 1903, following the collapse of the American Association after the 1891 season, the National League was again the only major league. The league championship was awarded in 1892 by a playoff between half-season champions and this scheme was abandoned after one season. Beginning in 1893—and continuing until divisional play was introduced in 1969—the pennant was awarded to the club in the standings at the end of the season. For four seasons, 1894–1897, the league played the runners-up in the post season championship series called the Temple Cup. A second attempt at this format was the Chronicle-Telegraph Cup series, in 1901, the American League was formed as a second major league. No championship series were played in 1901 or 1902 as the National and these series were arranged by the participating clubs, as the 1880s Worlds Series matches had been

19.
St. Louis Cardinals
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The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League Central division. Busch Stadium has been their home ballpark since 2006, with origins as one of the early professional baseball clubs in St. Upon the discontinuation of the AA, St. Louis joined the NL in 1892, at time, they were called the Browns. One of the most successful franchises in history, the Cardinals have won 11 World Series championships. Their 19 National League pennants rank third in NL history, in addition, St. Louis has won 13 division titles in the East and Central divisions. While still in the AA, St. Louis won four league championships, the Cardinals have won 105 or more games in four different seasons and won 100 or more a total of nine times. Cardinals players have won 20 league MVPs, four batting Triple Crowns, and three Cy Young Awards. Baseball Hall of Fame inductees include Lou Brock, Dizzy Dean, Bob Gibson, Whitey Herzog, Rogers Hornsby, Joe Medwick, Stan Musial, Branch Rickey, Red Schoendienst, Ozzie Smith, and Bruce Sutter. In 2016, Forbes valued the Cardinals at $1.6 billion, making them the 7th-most valuable franchise in MLB, their revenue the year was $300 million. Since their purchase in 1995, owner William DeWitt, Jr. s investment group has seen enormous growth from the $147 million purchase price, John Mozeliak is the general manager and Mike Matheny is the manager. Professional baseball began in St. Louis with the inception of the Brown Stockings in the National Association in 1875, the NA folded following that season, and the next season, St. Louis joined the National League as a charter member, finishing in third place at 45-19. George Bradley hurled the first no-hitter in Major League history, the NL expelled St. Louis from the league after 1877 due to a game-fixing scandal and the team went bankrupt. Without a league, they continued play as a barnstorming team through 1881. For the 1882 season, Chris von der Ahe purchased the team, reorganized it, and made it a member of the American Association. 1882 is generally considered to be the first year existence of the St. Louis Cardinals, the next season, St. Louis shortened their name to the Browns. Soon thereafter they became the dominant team in the AA, as manager Charlie Comiskey guided St. Louis to four pennants in a row from 1885 to 1888. Pitcher and outfielder Bob Caruthers led the league in ERA and wins in 1885 and he also led the AA in OBP and OPS in 1886 and finished fourth in batting average in 1886 and fifth in 1887

20.
Xavier Nady
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Xavier Clifford Nady VI is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. The St. Louis Cardinals originally drafted Nady in the 4th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft after he was named Northern California Player of the Year in his year of high school. Nady attended University of California, Berkeley, where he set the all-time Pac-10 Conference record for slugging percentage for the California Golden Bears baseball team. Nady was drafted in the round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres. Nady signed a league contract and became the 18th player to go directly to the major leagues without making his professional debut in the minor leagues since 1965. Nady only appeared in one league game before being sent to the minor leagues. He was named Padres Minor League Player of the Year in 2001, also collecting the California Leagues Most Valuable Player, Nady underwent Tommy John surgery and had limited playing time in 2002. In 2003 he again returned to the league level for part of the season. In late June 2005 Nady became the first Padre since Greg Vaughn to homer in four consecutive games, the Padres traded him to the New York Mets for Mike Cameron on November 18,2005. Nady underwent an emergency appendectomy early in the morning on May 30,2006, as a result, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list, and returned to the lineup on June 18. On July 30,2006, Mets set-up relief pitcher Duaner Sánchez was injured when the cab in which he was a passenger was broadsided, the Mets pitching corps was already depleted with star pitcher Pedro Martínez on the disabled list. Desperate for pitching, the Mets were forced to give up Nady, their right fielder, to the Pirates in exchange for pitchers Óliver Pérez. On July 26,2008, the New York Yankees acquired Nady and pitcher Dámaso Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates for José Tábata, Ross Ohlendorf, Daniel McCutchen, and Jeff Karstens. Nady had a career-high six RBIs as the Yankees came back to beat the Los Angeles Angels on August 3,2008 and he finished the 2008 season setting career-highs in home runs and runs batted in, and had a.305 batting average. Xavier Nady signed a contract worth $6.65 million with the Yankees. On April 14,2009, Nady suffered an injury which ultimately required a second Tommy John surgery on July 8. The surgery ended his 2009 season, as a result, Nick Swisher took over in Nadys position for the remainder of the 2009 season. Nady spent the season on the disabled list until the Yankees won the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies and he filed for free agency following the conclusion of the 2009 season

21.
Mike Cameron
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Michael Terrance Cameron is an American former professional Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, in 2002, Cameron became the 13th player to hit four home runs in one game. He was also an All-Star in 2001 and won Gold Gloves in 2001,2003, Cameron is also the only MLB player to hit 2 home runs in the same game with 8 different teams. Cameron attended LaGrange High School in LaGrange, Georgia, Cameron was drafted out of high school by the Chicago White Sox in 1991. His major league debut took place on August 27,1995, in 1997 he won a starting job as the teams regular center fielder. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Paul Konerko in 1998, along with three other players he was traded to the Seattle Mariners for Ken Griffey, Jr. before the 2000 season. Cameron tied a league record on May 2,2002 when he hit four home runs in one game becoming only the 15th player in MLB history to do this. In his fifth at bat, he hit one to the warning track and he played in the All-Star Game in 2001 and reached the postseason twice and won the Gold Glove Award in 2001,2003, and 2006 for his defensive play in the outfield. He led all major league fielders in range factor in 2003. In 2004 he signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract to play field for the New York Mets. On August 11,2005, in San Diego, Cameron collided with Beltran in the outfield as both made diving attempts to catch a fly ball, Cameron suffered a concussion and multiple fractures of his nose and cheekbones, and was removed from the field on a stretcher. Beltran also suffered a concussion but was able to walk off the field with help, on November 15,2005 Cameron was traded to the San Diego Padres for Xavier Nady. He won his first National League Gold Glove award during the 2006 season with San Diego, after leaving the Seattle Mariners in 2004 via free agency, Cameron played his first game back in Seattle during interleague play in May 2006. Mariners fans greeted his return with a standing ovation, on October 31,2007, it was announced that he had failed a test for banned stimulants for a second time and would miss the first 25 games of the 2008 season. Cameron has said he believes that a supplement he took was tainted, however, given the requirement of two failed drug tests before an announcement is made, this explanation is questionable. He was just the second major leaguer to be suspended for a positive test for stimulants. On January 14,2008 he signed a 1-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, on March 13,2008, Cameron applied for a therapeutic exemption to use stimulants during the 2008 season because of his outfield collision with former teammate Carlos Beltrán. He claimed to be struggling with after-effects of the collision that ended his 2005 season

22.
Brian Giles
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Brian Stephen Giles is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During his career he played for the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. The left-handed Giles was a two-time All-Star and had a line of. 291/. 400/.502 with 287 home runs,411 doubles,1,078 run batted in. His younger brother, Marcus Giles, is a former Major League infielder who was most notable for playing with the Atlanta Braves organization, Giles was born in El Cajon, California, and attended Granite Hills High School. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 17th round of the 1989 Major League Baseball draft, by 1994, Giles had worked his way up to Triple-A, where he batted.313 for Charlotte making the International League All-Star team. In 1995, Giles was again in Triple-A, where he batted.310 for Buffalo and he was also an American Association All-Star. Giles hit.355 in 51 games for the Indians in 1996 and hit.314 in 83 games with Buffalo, in 1997, Giles established himself as a major league regular, playing 130 games for the Indians and 112 games in 1998. On November 18,1998, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Ricardo Rincón, in 1999 with the Pirates, Giles emerged as a power-hitting outfielder who also hit for average and showed plate discipline. He began a streak of hitting at least 35 home runs for four straight seasons, Giles led the 2000 club in doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs and walks. His 123 RBIs were eight shy of Paul Waners club record of 131 set in 1927 and he became the first Pirate ever to hit at least. His 114 walks were the most by a Pirate since 1992, Giles 74 home runs in two seasons with the club represent the most in back-to-back seasons since Willie Stargell hit 77 in 1972–73. Giles was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career and he finished ninth in voting among National League outfielders. In 2001 Giles established career highs in games played, at bats, runs and he tied career highs in doubles, triples and stolen bases. At the end of the season he ranked tenth among N. L. players in runs, on-base percentage.404 and he led the Pirates in batting, home runs and walks. He tied Dave Parkers club record for most total bases,340, Giles hit his 100th career home run as a member of the Pirates on August 9, he is one of 17 players to homer 100 times as a Pirate. He was selected to play in the All- Star Game for the second consecutive year, Giles ranked second in the league in walks behind San Franciscos Barry Bonds, who led with 198 in 2002. He also established the record for most base on balls in a season by a left-handed batter. He homered once every 13.1 at bats, the third-best ratio in the league behind Bonds 8.8, on August 26,2003, he was traded to his hometown San Diego Padres for Jason Bay, Óliver Pérez, and minor leaguer Corey Stewart

23.
Sean Burroughs
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Sean Patrick Burroughs is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has previously played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Burroughs, who stands 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 195 pounds, bats left-handed and throws right-handed. He is the son of former major-leaguer Jeff Burroughs, Burroughs is the son of former major leaguer Jeff Burroughs. He starred in the Little League World Series as a pitcher when he was growing up in Long Beach, California, winning the championship in 1992 and 1993. Burroughs made waves in the media for his precociousness following the titles and he is also the only US player to throw back to back no-hitters in the Little League World Series. The San Diego Padres selected Burroughs in the first round, with the ninth overall selection, Burroughs declined a scholarship offer to the University of Southern California to accept the Padres contract offer. In 2000, Burroughs appeared in the All-Star Futures Game, and was named the games most valuable player and he first joined the San Diego Padres major league team in 2002. Burroughs hit a single in the first game played at San Diegos Petco Park. Burroughs career fell apart during the 2006 season, after being traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for Dewon Brazelton, Burroughs would bat just.190 in limited playing time before being optioned to the Durham Bulls, Tampa Bays Triple-A affiliate. Burroughs was designated for assignment on June 22, ending his tenure with the Devil Rays franchise, on December 24,2006, Burroughs signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners, but was released on June 15,2007, less than halfway through the season. Burroughs struggled with injuries after a collision at second base at Dodger Stadium, as a result, he did not play baseball at all from 2008–2010. He had a comeback with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011, on November 22,2010, Burroughs signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had his contract purchased by Arizona on May 18,2011 and he was placed on waivers on June 19, after hitting.261 for Arizona and outrighted to the minor leagues. After third baseman Melvin Mora was released, Burroughs was promoted back to Arizona on July 1,2011 where he returned to the starting line-up and he had some key hits which helped the team reach the playoffs. He declared free agency on October 21, on December 14,2011, he signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. He made the league team in spring training. In October 2012, Burroughs elected minor league free agency, on April 12,2013 he signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and reported to the AA Chattanooga Lookouts. He played in 57 games for the Lookouts and hit.220 and he signed with Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball for 2014 season

24.
Adam Eaton (pitcher)
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Adam Thomas Eaton is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 2000 through 2009 for the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, with the Phillies, Eaton was a member of the 2008 World Series champions. Eaton graduated from Snohomish High School in 1996 where he went 8–0 with a 0.67 earned run average as a senior, after signing, the Phillies assigned Eaton to their team in the A-level South Atlantic League, the Piedmont Boll Weevils. Though he spent a month on the disabled list during the 1997 season, though his ERA went up a quarter of a point to 4.43 in 1998, his record was 9–8 as he struck out 89 batters in 132 innings at Clearwater. Between the three levels, Eaton posted an 11–10 record and a combined 3.34 ERA, striking out 127 in 167 innings, for his accomplishments, Eaton was honored as the recipient of the Paul Owens Award, given to the top Phillies minor league pitcher each season. At the end of the season, before his first major appearance, Eaton was traded with Carlton Loewer. He posted a 4–1 record in ten starts for the Mobile BayBears, Eaton made his major league debut for the Padres on May 30,2000, against the Milwaukee Brewers, and won his first major league game. He went 7–4 in the 2000 season, striking out 90 in 135 innings, Eaton did not lose in his first eight starts as a Padre, posting a 1–0 record with a 3.02 ERA. He posted the best day game ERA in the National League and his batting average led all major league pitchers. Eatons first full season in the leagues,2001, produced mixed results. Before his injuries, Eaton posted an 8–5 record with a 4.32 ERA and this season also produced his first two career complete games, and he posted two ten-strikeout games against the Houston Astros and the San Francisco Giants. He pitched each of his six starts against National League West opponents, Eatons 2003 ERA was a career low, but he only managed a 9–12 record over his second full season. He pitched at least seven innings in ten of his 31 starts, though he started the season weakly, July was Eatons top month, he posted a 4–0 record and a 2.81 ERA in the month. His nine wins were a career high,2004 was a career year for Eaton, as he reached new levels in wins, with 11, starts, with 33, innings pitched, with 199⅓, and strikeouts, with 153. He beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, a San Diego rival, four times during the season, posting a 4–1 record and he also won eight games on the road, posting a 2.66 ERA during his seven-game winning streak away from new Petco Park. In a game against the Royals in July he became the eighth different Padre to take a no-hitter into the eighth inning, in his last year as a Padre, Eaton posted a 9–1 record over his first 13 starts. He pitched his way to a 10–5 record with an ERA of 4.27 and he came back at the end of the season and won his final start against the Dodgers, striking out 11. This win also matched his career high from the previous season, on December 20,2005, Eaton was traded, along with Akinori Otsuka and Billy Killian to the Texas Rangers for Chris Young, Terrmel Sledge, and Adrian Gonzalez

25.
Akinori Otsuka
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Akinori Otsuka is a retired Japanese baseball pitcher who coaches for the Chunichi Dragons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He was formerly the set-up man for the San Diego Padres and he was also the closer for Japans 2006 World Baseball Classic winning team. Otsuka threw a low-90s 4-seam fastball that is straight, along with a hard. The Padres offered the top bid, and signed him to a contract on December 9,2003. Otsuka took over the role as the closer for the Rangers during the 2006 season, replacing Francisco Cordero, and recorded 32 saves while posting a 2.11 ERA. However, on December 19,2006, the Rangers announced that newly signed Éric Gagné would take over the role in 2007. On January 13,2007, T. R. Sullivan reported that, in an interview in Japan, Otsuka said If there is the team needs me as a closer. Due to Gagné starting the season on the DL, Otsuka began the 2007 season as the closer, with the trade of Gagne to the Boston Red Sox, Otsuka assumed the closers role again. However, Otsuka went on the DL after experiencing tighntess in his throwing shoulder and his stand-in was C. J. Wilson. Otsuka was not offered a new contract by the Rangers and became an agent on December 12,2007. On January 10,2008, Otsuka announced that he would undergo elbow surgery, Otsuka was the player-manager of the Shinano Grandserows of the Japanese Baseball Challenge League from 2012–2014. The team held his retirement ceremony on September 15,2014, Otsuka was brought back to his old stomping ground with the Chunichi Dragons on the 3rd of October 2015 as one of the second team pitching coaches. In 2016, with first team pitching coach Shinichi Kondoh on leave to have hernia surgery and he however returned to working with the second team following Kondohs return. On 26 September, Otsuka was unveiled as the coach for the U-23 Japanese national team for the 2016 WBSC U-23 World Cup. Otsuka and his wife, Akemi, have one son, Toranosuke, and one daughter, Hikaru

26.
Texas Rangers (baseball)
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The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington, Texas, located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Rangers franchise is currently a member of the West division of the American League in Major League Baseball, since 1994, the Rangers have played in Globe Life Park in Arlington in Arlington, Texas. The teams name is borrowed from the law enforcement agency of the same name. After the 1971 season, the new Senators moved to Arlington, Texas, in 2010, the Rangers advanced past the Division Series for the first time, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays. Texas then brought home their first American League pennant after beating the New York Yankees in six games, in the 2010 World Series, the franchises first, the Rangers fell to the San Francisco Giants in five games. They repeated as American League champions the year, then lost the 2011 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. At the winter meetings that year, it awarded a new team to Los Angeles as well as a new team in the nations capital and this new team adopted the old Senators name, but was considered an expansion team since the Twins retained the old Senators records and history. The Senators and Angels began to fill their rosters with American League players in an expansion draft, the team played the 1961 season at old Griffith Stadium before moving to District of Columbia Stadium. For most of their existence, the new Senators were the definition of futility, the teams struggles led to a twist on a joke about the old Senators--Washington, first in war, first in peace and still last in the American League. Frank Howard, known for his home runs, was the teams most accomplished player. Ownership changed hands several times during the stay in Washington and was often plagued by poor decision-making and planning. Owner Elwood Richard Quesada once wondered why he should have to pay his players because he believed they didnt belong in the majors and he later agreed to a 10-year lease at D. C. Stadium — a move that would back to haunt the Senators. In 1963, Quesada sold his stake in the club and resigned, Washington stockbrokers James Johnston and James Lemon owned the team briefly, suffering massive financial losses. Johnson died in 1967 and Lemon sold the team a year later to hotel and trucking executive Bob Short, Short named himself general manager and hired Hall of Famer Ted Williams as manager. Although Williams had never coached or managed at any level of baseball, Williams kept them in contention for most of the season, their 86–76 record would be their only winning season in Washington. The success though was brief, as Short borrowed most of the $9.4 million he had used to pay for the team, as the Senators general manager, Short was forced to make many questionable trades to lower the debt and acquire amounts of the much-needed revenue. As a result, the team fell back into the American Leagues cellar position

27.
Adrian Gonzalez
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Adrián Savin González, also known by his nicknames A-Gon and Titán, is a Mexican-American professional baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. González was the first overall pick in the 2000 Major League Baseball draft by the Florida Marlins and he was traded to the Texas Rangers, and later to the San Diego Padres, where he was an All-Star selection four times and two-time Gold Glove winner. González was born in the United States, but played for Mexico in the 2006,2009,2013, Adrian Gonzalez was born in San Diego, California to David and Alba Gonzalez, both Mexican natives. Gonzalez is the youngest of three boys, his brothers are David Jr. and Edgar, a big leaguer. After his birth, his parents moved the family to Tijuana, the three boys grew up playing baseball in Mexico, where their father had been a member of the Mexican national baseball team. In 1990 the family returned to the United States, settling in Bonita, while Adrian was drafted by the Florida Marlins out of high school, his brother Edgar attended San Diego State University and was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 30th round of the 2000 draft. Edgar debuted in the leagues as a utility man with the San Diego Padres in 2008. In 2012 David and Alba Gonzalez were named 2012 George and Barbara Bush Little League Parents of the Year, in November 2012, Adrian Gonzalez was honored as one of 30 exemplary citizens by the Mayor of Tijuana in an official ceremony. Gonzalez was projected to be a late first-round pick out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California, in June 2000, Gonzalez became the first infield position player to be drafted first overall since Alex Rodriguez in 1993. He was given a $3 million signing bonus by the Florida Marlins, while in the Marlins organization, Gonzalez played with the Gulf Coast League Marlins, Kane County Cougars, Utica Blue Sox, Portland Sea Dogs, Albuquerque Isotopes, and Carolina Mudcats. With the A level Kane County Cougars in his 2nd professional season, as a result, he was selected by the Midwest League as the Most Valuable Player & Top Prospect in the league. He also played in the All-Star Futures Game, Gonzalez played with the Rangers Class AA team, the Frisco Roughriders until he made his Major League debut against the Seattle Mariners on April 18,2004. He was hitless in 3 at-bats and he recorded his first base hit on April 20 against Ramón Ortiz of the Anaheim Angels and his first home run on April 25 off Kevin Jarvis of the Seattle Mariners. He played in 16 games for Texas in 2004 and in 43 games in 2005, after the season, Gonzalez was traded to the San Diego Padres along with pitcher Chris Young and outfielder Terrmel Sledge. In return, the Rangers received Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka, originally seen as an eventual replacement for Ryan Klesko at first base, Gonzalez was given the job when Klesko underwent shoulder surgery. With extended playing time at first base in 2006, Gonzalez continued to improve his hitting, on July 23,2006, he was named the NL Player of the Week. In his first full season, he led the Padres in batting average and he was the first player in Petco Park history to have more than one multiple home run game. He was named the Padres MVP for 2006, on March 31,2007, Gonzalez agreed to a $9.5 million, four-year deal, with a club option for $5.5 million in 2011

28.
Chris Young (pitcher)
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Christopher Ryan Chris Young is an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball. He made his league debut on August 24,2004, with the Texas Rangers and also has Major League experience with the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners. He had previously excelled in basketball and baseball at Highland Park High School in University Park, Texas, Young helped Highland Park reach the Class 4A Region II basketball final in 1997 and the Class 4A Texas state basketball final in 1998. He tossed a no-hitter in 1997 while compiling a 6–0 record, during his senior year, he was District Most Valuable Player in basketball, and led his baseball team to the state championship, while pitching in two no-hitters. That year, he was a first-team All-State selection in basketball and baseball, after a high school career as an athlete and scholar, Young excelled in both baseball and basketball for Princeton University and became the Ivy Leagues first male two-sport Rookie of the Year. In 2007, he defended his opponent batting average and hits per nine innings titles and he was elected to the 2007 MLB All-Star Game as a first-time All-Star via the All-Star Final Vote. Young attended Highland Park High School, where he played basketball and baseball and he lettered three times in basketball, in a career in which he scored over 1,000 points, and accumulated 500 rebounds and 200 blocks. He was a letterman in baseball, compiling a 14–3 record with 180 strikeouts. In basketball he averaged 16 points,12 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots a game, as a sophomore in the fall of 1995, he was moved up to the varsity basketball team from the junior varsity due to injuries. As a junior, his presence was significant enough that one opposing team practiced with a holding a broom in the air to simulate playing against him. He helped his team reach the Class 4A-state Region II final, as a junior in baseball, Young threw a no-hitter against McKinney High School in Spring 1997. However, he missed a large part of the season getting off to a 6–0 start because of a stress fracture in his foot. Nonetheless, he was considered a top professional prospect. Young developed a reputation as a finesse post player, and that season he led his team to the UIL State Tournament championship game, Young finished his senior season as a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches first-team All-State selection and the District 9-4A Most Valuable Player. He was later chosen to play in the mid-summer Texas High School Coaches Associations Southwestern All-Star basketball game at the Hofheinz Pavilion, Young announced he planned to attend Princeton in May 1998. He chose Princeton over Boston College, University of Oklahoma, University of Pennsylvania, University of Texas, Vanderbilt University, and Yale University. On May 9,1998, Young was involved in a combined no-hitter when he pitched into the fifth inning against Moisés E. Molina High School and was relieved by Mike Matthews. Highland Park won this game, which was the clinching Region II best-of-3 bi-district series game, Young displayed home run power as a senior, and in some games, he played designated hitter

29.
Terrmel Sledge
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Terrmel Sledge is a retired American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and he is currently the hitting coach for the Tulsa Drillers in the Texas League. Sledges career began in 2004 with the Montreal Expos and he moved with the team to Washington, D. C. the following season as the Expos relocated to the American capital, and hit the first-ever home run for the Washington Nationals. He was traded to the Texas Rangers along with fellow outfielder Brad Wilkerson for second baseman Alfonso Soriano on December 7,2005 and he was then traded to the San Diego Padres in a six-player deal on December 20. His best season came in 2004, when he batted. 269/. 336/.462 with 15 home runs and 62 runs batted in. On October 3,2004, Sledge recorded the final RBI in Expos history when he drove in Jamey Carroll in a game against the New York Mets. Sledge prepped at John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, California, Sledge is half Korean and half African American, his mother was Korean and his father was black. According to his father, his name is a combination of Terrence and Melvin and he tested positive for traces of 19-norandrosterone and 19-noretiocholanolone, chemical derivatives related to androstenedione. On November 29,2007, Terrmel was granted permission from the Padres to sign with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Nippon Professional League, on December 17, Terrmel signed a contract with Yokohama BayStars for the 2010 season. He retired after the 2012 season and spent 2015 as the assistant hitting coach for the Eugene Emeralds, in 2016, he was named hitting coach for the Tulsa Drillers of the AA Texas League. Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference

30.
Alan Embree
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Alan Duane Embree is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He bats and throws left-handed, and was used as a left-handed specialist, Embree attended Prairie High School in Brush Prairie, Washington and was a letterman in football, basketball, baseball. In baseball, he won All-Conference honors, Embree relies primarily on two pitches, a 90 to 95 MPH four-seam fastball, and a sharp slider that is very effective when he can keep it down. In his younger days, Embrees fastball was clocked as high as 96 to 98 mph, during his time with the Red Sox, he began to throw his fastball at slightly lower velocity in order to avoid injuring his arm. He also refined his slider into a pitch, whereas before. He is particularly difficult for left-handed hitters, and he is not afraid to throw inside, an excellent fielder, he has a good move to first that keeps runners close. From 1992 through 2004, Embree had posted a 28-28 record with a 4.38 ERA, in 2004, Embree recorded the final out against the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series and Embree received his World Series ring on Opening Day,2005, in 2005 with the Boston Red Sox, Embrees record was 1-4 with a 7.65 ERA in 43 outings. As a result of these numbers, Embree was designated for assignment on July 19. He was signed by the New York Yankees on July 30 to replace Buddy Groom who was designated for assignment, on December 6,2006 it was announced that Embree agreed to a two-year deal with the Oakland Athletics including an option for the 2009 season. Embree spent the bulk of his serving as the teams closer while Huston Street was injured for a prolonged period. On December 13,2008 it was announced that Embree had agreed to a deal with the Colorado Rockies for the 2009 season. On July 7,2009 Embree became only the second pitcher since 1990 to be awarded a win without throwing a single pitch and this is because he was able to pick a man off at 1st base. On July 10,2009, Embrees right tibia was broken after he was struck in the leg by a drive off the bat of Atlanta Brave Martín Prado. The injury required surgery and caused Embree to miss the rest of the 2009 season, on March 20,2010, the Boston Red Sox signed Embree to a Minor League contract with a Major League Spring Training invitation. Embree had a clause in his contract that would grant him a release by April 15 if he was not on the league roster. He opted to remain with the Boston organization and was called up on April 28, however, he was designated for assignment on May 1 without appearing in a game. On May 11,2010, the Chicago White Sox signed Embree, on Nov 8,2012, Embree was named the Pitching Coach for the Bend Elks Baseball Club in Bend, Oregon

31.
Mike Piazza
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Michael Joseph Piazza /piːˈɑːtsə/ is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1992–2007. Piazza was drafted by the Dodgers in the 1988 MLB draft as a favor from Tommy Lasorda to Piazzas father, initially a first baseman, Piazza converted to catcher in the minor leagues at Lasordas suggestion to improve his chances of being promoted. He made his league debut in 1992 and the following year was named the National League Rookie of the Year and was an All-Star for the first of 10 consecutive seasons. Piazza immediately impressed with his ability to hit for power and average. His best year as a Dodger came in 1997 when he batted.362, hit 40 home runs, in 1998, he was traded to the Marlins and then a week later to the Mets, with whom he spent most of the remainder of his career. He helped the Mets reach the 2000 World Series, the only World Series appearance of his career, after the 2005 season, Piazza left the Mets to play one season each for the Padres and Athletics before retiring after the 2007 season. Piazza is regarded as one of the best offensive catchers in baseball history and he had at least one RBI in 15 consecutive games for the Mets in 2000, the second-longest RBI streak ever. In 2013, the Mets inducted Piazza into the New York Mets Hall of Fame, in 2016, Piazza was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Met, receiving 83% of the vote. Mike Piazza is owner of the Italian soccer team A. C. Reggiana 1919, Piazza was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, grew up in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and attended Phoenixville High School. He is of Italian and Slovak ancestry, and is the second-oldest son of Vince and Veronica, with brothers Vince Jr. Danny, Tony, Mike grew up a Philadelphia Phillies fan, and admiring Hall of Fame Third baseman Mike Schmidt. Vince Piazza earned a fortune of more than $100 million in used cars and real estate, Vince Piazzas own hopes of playing baseball had ended at the age of 16 when he left school to support his family. He saw that Mike Piazza had potential in the sport, when he was 12, Piazza received personal instruction in his backyard batting cage from Ted Williams. The Hall of Famer praised his talent, advised him not to let anyone change his swing and he attended Phoenixville Area High School and graduated in 1986. Piazza became an excellent hitter, especially for a catcher and his MLB debut came with the Dodgers on September 1,1992, against the Chicago Cubs. He drew a walk in his first plate appearance and then doubled to center field in his first official at-bat. He hit his first home run on September 12,1992 and he only appeared in 21 games that season, hitting.232. He won the NL MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1993 after appearing in 149 games, hitting.318, slugging 35 home runs and he was also selected to the 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, his first of 10 consecutive All-Star appearances. Until Joc Pederson passed him in 2015, Piazzas 18 home runs before the All Star break was a Dodgers rookie record, in 1996, Piazza hit.336 with 36 home runs and 105 RBIs, finishing second in MVP voting, behind Ken Caminiti

32.
Doug Mirabelli
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Douglas Anthony Mirabelli is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Mirabelli was a career.231 hitter with 58 home runs and 206 RBI in 566 games. While with the Red Sox, he was known as the personal catcher for knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. He was part of the Red Sox World Series championship teams in 2004 and 2007, instead, Mirabelli chose to attend Wichita State University. In 1992, Mirabelli was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 5th round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft again and he signed a contract with the club on June 24,1992. Mirabelli began his league career in 1992 with the San Jose Giants in the California League. Over the next four seasons, he spent time with the Giants AA club, the Shreveport Captains and their AAA team. In 1996, Mirabelli started the year in AA, putting together an impressive season hitting.295 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI and he bounced back to the AA level before earning a promotion to the major leagues in August of that year. Mirabelli made his league debut on August 23,1996 against the Philadelphia Phillies. In the late 1990s, the Giants teams often utilized a platoon at the catcher position, when Mirabelli reached the majors, he saw limited time and spent most of his season in AAA with Phoenix. In 1999, he made the promotion to the majors permanent when he split time with veterans Brent Mayne. The following season, Mirabelli platooned with Bobby Estalella, but neither catcher hit above.230 or played well enough to earn the starting job, during spring training of 2001, the Giants signed veteran catcher Benito Santiago, who took over the starting role. Mirabellis contract was sold to the Texas Rangers, who made him the backup to All-Star catcher Iván Rodríguez, Mirabelli hit.270 with 9 home runs for the Red Sox in 2001. After the season, Hatteberg signed as an agent with the Oakland Athletics and, in 2002, Mirabelli found himself as the designated catcher for veterans Darren Oliver. However, neither one lasted in the rotation and Mirabelli soon found himself partnered with knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, on July 23,2002 Wakefield returned to the starting rotation after serving as a reliever for most of the season, Mirabelli made the start at catcher. The partnership seemed to work as Wakefield went 8–2 down the stretch with Mirabelli catching for him each time, over the next three seasons, Wakefield and Mirabelli became an effective battery. As Wakefield solidified himself in the rotation, Mirabelli made almost every start for him as well as spot starts in relief of Varitek. Mirabelli would be the catcher in Game 1 of the 2004 World Series as Wakefield was named the starting pitcher

33.
Boston Red Sox
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The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the American League East division. The Red Sox have won eight World Series championships and have played in 13, founded in 1901 as one of the American Leagues eight charter franchises, the Red Sox home ballpark has been Fenway Park since 1912. The Red Sox name was chosen by the owner, John I. Taylor, around 1908, following the lead of previous teams that had known as the Boston Red Stockings. Boston was a dominant team in the new league, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first World Series in 1903 and winning four more championships by 1918. Following their victory in the 2013 World Series, they became the first team to win three World Series trophies in the 21st century, including championships in 2004 and 2007. Red Sox history has also marked by the teams intense rivalry with the Yankees. The Boston Red Sox are owned by Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Liverpool F. C. of the Premier League in England. The Red Sox are consistently one of the top MLB teams in road attendance. From May 15,2003 to April 10,2013, the Red Sox sold out every home game—a total of 820 games for a professional sports record. Neil Diamonds Sweet Caroline has become an anthem for the Red Sox, the name Red Sox, chosen by owner John I. Taylor after the 1907 season, refers to the red hose in the team uniform beginning 1908. Sox had been adopted for the Chicago White Sox by newspapers needing a headline-friendly form of Stockings. The team name Red Sox had previously used as early as 1888 by a colored team from Norfolk. The Spanish language media sometimes refers to the team as Medias Rojas, the official Spanish site uses the variant Los Red Sox. The Red Stockings nickname was first used by a team by the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Managed by Harry Wright, Cincinnati adopted a uniform with white knickers and red stockings and earned the famous nickname, the Boston Red Stockings won four championships in the five seasons of the new National Association, the first professional league. Other names were used before Boston officially adopted the nickname Braves in 1912

34.
Josh Bard
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Joshua David Bard is an American former professional baseball catcher who is a coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, Bard was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed during his playing career. Bard was born in Elizabeth, Colorado, and attended Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village and he then attended Texas Tech University, where he was a three-time All-American while playing for Texas Tech Red Raiders. On August 23,2002, Bard made his MLB debut against the Seattle Mariners and hit a home run. In 2003, Bard posted a.244 average with 8 home runs and 36 RBI in 91 games played. In 2004, Bard spent the first half of the season on the disabled list due to an abdominal injury, in 2005, Bard returned to the Indians roster, backing up Víctor Martínez. He became the Red Soxs backup catcher during spring training 2006 following the retirement of John Flaherty, as a member of the Boston Red Sox in April 2006, his primary duties were catching knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield. In the beginning of the season, this proved to be a challenging task, in an April 26,2006, game against the Cleveland Indians, Bard gave up 4 passed balls, giving him a total of 10 passed balls in his first 5 games. A few days later, Bard was traded along with Cla Meredith to the San Diego Padres for Doug Mirabelli, Mirabelli, who had been traded by the Red Sox to the Padres for Mark Loretta during the offseason, was experienced at catching Tim Wakefield. A lifetime.240 hitter before joining the Padres, Bard hit.338 in 231 at-bats the rest of the season as the backup to Mike Piazza, Bard was behind the plate on August 4,2007, for a home game against the San Francisco Giants. He was catching for pitcher Clay Hensley when Hensley gave up Barry Bondss 755th home run, bards hot hitting did not continue into the 2008 season. He began the season as the Padres starting catcher, with Rob Bowen as his backup, in June, Bowen was traded to the Chicago Cubs for catcher Michael Barrett. In October 2008, Bard left the Padres and became a free agent, on January 2,2009, Bard returned to the Red Sox with a one-year, $1.6 million contract, which included a $3 million club option for 2010. However, on March 18, he was released, on March 21,2009 Bard signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals and was invited to Spring Training. He played in 90 games for the Nationals, hitting.230, on December 28,2009, Bard signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. Bard has his contract purchased by Seattle on June 29,2011 and he played in 26 games with the Mariners, hitting.210. He elected free agency on October 30, on August 13,2011, he was involved in a controversial play against the Boston Red Sox. Dustin Pedroia hit a fly ball to Ichiro Suzuki, who caught the ball as Jacoby Ellsbury tagged up from third, Ichiro, who was known for throwing runners out at home, threw a strike to Bard, who collided with Ellsbury

35.
Cla Meredith
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Olise Claiborne Cla Meredith III, nicknamed The Claw, is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Meredith attended Virginia Commonwealth University and played on their baseball team, Meredith was used almost exclusively as a reliever. He put up his best numbers in 2003, going 6-0 with a school record 1.19 ERA, Meredith posted 8 saves that year, with 70 strikeouts, and only 16 walks. He is also VCUs all time ERA leader at 2.52, Meredith was drafted in the 6th round 2004 Major League Baseball draft by the Boston Red Sox after his junior year at VCU. He started his pro career with their Single-A affiliate the Augusta GreenJackets, in 13 games, he gave up no runs and saved six games, while striking out 18 and walking three. He was promoted to Sarasota of the Florida State League after his performance in Augusta and put up a 0-2 record with a 2.20 ERA in 16 games with 12 saves,16 strikeouts and only three walks. In 2005, he pitched 15 innings over 12 games for the Portland Sea Dogs without giving up an earned run and he made his major league debut on May 82005 against Seattle. Meredith walked two batters before allowing a grand slam to Richie Sexson, on May 1,2006, Meredith was traded to the Padres, along with then-Red Sox backup catcher Josh Bard, for catcher Doug Mirabelli. Meredith earned a win in his first appearance for San Diego on May 13,2006 and his 1.07 ERA and.170 batting average against led the National League. He did not surrender a run in 28 consecutive appearances, a span of 33 2⁄3 innings from July 18 through September 12 and that streak set a franchise record, eclipsing Randy Jones 30-inning scoreless streak. The 33 2⁄3 scoreless innings also tied Orel Hershisers mark in 1984 for the second-longest streak by a rookie since 1970 and it now stands as the second-longest scoreless stretch by a rookie relief pitcher in the live-ball era. In July 2009, Meredith was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for infielder Oscar Salazar, on December 12,2009, Meredith avoided arbitration and agreed to a one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles. After getting sent down on June 22,2010, he was designated for assignment to make room for recently acquired Jake Fox, the Washington Nationals signed Meredith to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training on February 2,2011. On March 27,2011, the Nationals released him, the right-handed side-armer is best known for his sinking fastball, which is typically thrown in the 86–89 mph range. He is working to develop his changeup and average slider. Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference

36.
San Francisco Giants
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The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball franchise based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams, and renamed three years later to the New York Giants, the team moved to San Francisco in 1958. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League West division. As one of the longest-established and most successful baseball teams. The team was the first major team based in New York City. They have won 23 NL pennants and have played in 20 World Series competitions – both NL records, the Giants eight World Series championships rank second in the National League and are tied for fourth overall. The Giants have played in the World Series 20 times –14 times in New York, six in San Francisco –, the Giants franchise has the most Hall of Fame players in all of professional baseball. The Giants rivalry with the Dodgers is one of the longest-standing, the teams began their rivalry as the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, respectively, before both franchises moved west for the 1958 season. The Giants have won six pennants and three World Series championships since arriving in San Francisco and those three championships have come in 2010,2012, and most recently in 2014, having defeated the Kansas City Royals four games to three during the 2014 World Series. The Giants began as the baseball club founded by millionaire tobacconist John B. Day and veteran amateur baseball player Jim Mutrie, the Gothams, as the Giants were originally known, entered the National League in 1883, while their other club, the Metropolitans played in the American Association. Nearly half of the original Gotham players were members of the disbanded Troy Trojans, Louis Browns in a pre-modern-era World Series. They repeated as champions the year with a pennant and Championship victory over the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. It is said that one particularly satisfying victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Mutrie. From then on, the club was known as the Giants, the Giants original home stadium, the Polo Grounds, dates from this early era. It was originally located north of Central Park adjacent to 5th and 6th Avenues and 110th and 112th Streets, the Giants were a powerhouse in the late 1880s, winning their first two National League Pennants and World Championships in 1888 and 1889. But nearly all of the Giants stars jumped to the upstart Players League, whose New York franchise was named the Giants. The new team built a stadium next door to the Polo Grounds

37.
Dave Roberts (outfielder)
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David Ray Roberts is a Japanese-American former Major League Baseball outfielder and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played for five Major League teams over a ten-year career, Roberts was born in Naha, Okinawa to Eiko and Waymon Roberts, a United States Marine stationed in Japan. He also has a sister named Melissa. His childhood was spent moving from one base to another before settling in San Diego. Roberts attended Vista High School as a freshman and was the MVP of the varsity baseball team. He transferred to Rancho Buena Vista High School when it opened the year, where he was a standout in football, basketball. In football, he was a starter at quarterback, as a senior. Roberts was recruited to play football for the Air Force Academy as an option quarterback, Roberts decided to attend UCLA and joined the Bruins baseball team as a walk-on outfielder after impressing coaches with his speed and enthusiasm. He hit.331 as a sophomore with 36 stolen bases, the Cleveland Indians drafted him in the 47th round of the 1993 MLB draft. He improved by getting to the quicker and was able to lead the Bruins in outfield assists as a senior. He left UCLA as the schools all-time stolen-base leader and graduated with his Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1995, Roberts was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 28th round of the 1994 MLB Draft and signed with them on June 9,1994. He began his career with the Jamestown Jammers, the Tigers short-season class A team in the New York–Pennsylvania League, Roberts hit.292 with 12 steals for the Jammers, who won the division title with a 42–32 record. For the 1995 season, he was promoted to play for the Lakeland Tigers in the Florida State League, in 1996, Roberts was assigned to the Visalia Oaks of the California League. The Oaks were a team made up of players from several organizations. He was frustrated with the assignment and thought about quitting baseball, in 126 games, he hit.272 with 65 stolen bases, which led all of minor league baseball and he scored 112 runs, tops in the Cal League. He appeared in three games for the AA Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League at the end of the season and had two hits in nine at-bats and he also hit a three-run home run in the 15th inning to help the Suns win game 1 of their playoff series. The following season, he remained at Jacksonville and played in 105 games for them, in 1998, Roberts once again began the season with the Suns. He played in 69 games and hit.326 with 21 stolen bases and was named to the Southern League mid-season all-star team, in June 1998, Roberts and Tim Worrell were traded to the Cleveland Indians for Gerónimo Berroa

38.
Center fielder
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A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record plays, the center fielder is assigned the number 8. Outfielders must cover large distances, so speed, instincts and quickness to react to the ball are key and they must be able to catch fly balls above their heads and on the run. They must be able to throw the ball accurately over a distance to be effective. Amateur players may find it difficult to concentrate on the game, emphasizing the correct position will give outfield players something to concentrate on at each pitch. As well as the requirements above, the fielder must be the outfielder who has the best combination of speed. The center fielder covers more grass than any player and, most likely. The center outfielder is the captain of the outfield and has the authority to call off the corner fielders when she or he has a chance to catch the ball. A center fielders vision and depth perception is a coveted skill, because the position requires a good arm and fast legs, center field is generally where the team puts its best all-around athletes, as a result, center fielders are often fine hitters as well. Many center fielders are renowned as excellent batters and base runners, Baseball Hall of Fame Outfield Baseball positions

39.
Eric Young (baseball)
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Eric Orlando Young Sr. is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and left fielder. He played college baseball and college football for Rutgers University and he resides in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Young began his MLB career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992 and he hit a home run in the Rockies first-ever home at bat on April 9,1993, as part of an 11-4 home win over the Montreal Expos. He helped Colorado to its first postseason appearance in 1995. His best seasons came with the Rockies, where he was an All-Star, in 1996, he hit.324, with 8 home runs,74 RBI and 53 stolen bases. During the 1990s, Young was one of the top base stealers in the major leagues and he is the Rockies career leader in stolen bases and is in the top 10 in many other offensive categories. On June 30,1996, he managed to steal second base, third base, in 1997, fan favorite Young was traded back to Los Angeles for pitcher Pedro Astacio. While in Los Angeles during 1998–1999, Young continued his consistency by stealing bases, Young was traded by the Dodgers to the Chicago Cubs in 1999. In 2000, while a member of the Cubs, he hit.297, in 2001, he enjoyed a similar season. In January 2002, Young signed as an agent with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2003, he hit 15 home runs, a career-high that almost doubled his previous best of 8 home runs, Young went on to play with the Texas Rangers and the San Diego Padres, where he was mainly used as a pinch runner. On August 1,2006, Young was released by the Padres and he was subsequently reacquired by the Rangers and joined the team later that month. In late October, he declared free agency, but did not end up playing in the Majors again, youngs son, Eric Young Jr. is following in his fathers footsteps. Eric Jr. graduated from Piscataway Township High School in 2003, Young officially retired as a member of the Colorado Rockies on September 12,2008. He was honored during a ceremony that same day at Coors Field before the Rockies took on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Young is also an analyst on the sports program Baseball Tonight and he is often mentioned in the term Souvenir City Chamber of Commerce, Eric Young President which is the term used by host Steve Berthiaume when showing a home run. He also calls out Souvenir City, when showing footage of a home run. Young served as an instructor for the Houston Astros and helped with their outfield

40.
Left fielder
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In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate, in the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the left fielder is assigned the number 7. Outfielders must cover large distances - speed, instincts, and quickness in reacting to the ball are key and they must be able to catch fly balls above their head and on the run. Amateur players may find it difficult to concentrate on the game, emphasizing the correct position will give outfield players something to concentrate on at each pitch. Hits to left field tend to curve toward the left field foul line, of all outfielders, the left fielder often will have the weakest arm, as they generally do not need to throw the ball as far to prevent the advance of any baserunners. The left fielder still requires good fielding and catching skills, the left fielder also backs up third base on pick-off attempts from the catcher or pitcher and bunts, when possible. Also if a runner is stealing third base the left fielder must back up the throw from the catcher, left fielders must also back up third base when a ball is thrown from right field, and back up center field when a pop fly is hit into the pocket. Despite giving their teams the advantage of accommodating a player with a weak arm, after being converted to left field, Alfonso Soriano led the league with 22 and 19 outfield assists in 2006 and 2007, respectively, his first two years playing the outfield. Despite regularly leading the league in errors and often coming out of the game for a replacement in late innings. When most left fielders are older or struggling defensively, they move to first base or designated hitter. Third basemen will sometimes move to left, Ryan Braun and Alex Gordon are examples, jose Bautista is an example, that third basemen move to the corner outfield positions. Baseball Hall of Fame Gold Glove Award

41.
Right fielder
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A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate, in the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the right fielder is assigned the number 9. Outfielders must cover large distances, so speed, instincts and quickness to react to the ball are key. They must be able to fly balls above their head and on the run. Being situated 250–300 feet from home plate, they must be able to throw the ball accurately over a distance to be effective. Of all outfield positions, the right fielder often has the strongest arm, the right fielder backs up second base on any ball thrown from the left side of the field, i. e. shortstop, third base, or foul line territory. The right fielder backs up first base when the first baseman is in a run down between 3rd base and home, right field has developed a reputation in Little League as being a position where less talented players can be hidden without damaging a teams defense in any significant way. Additionally, since most batters are right-handed, the fielder will have far more opportunities to make a play than the right fielder. Lucy van Pelt Evelyn Gardner Baseball Hall of Fame Gold Glove Award Outfielder

42.
Catcher
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Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in cricket. Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player, when a batter takes his/her turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to primary duty, the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills in order to field the position well. The role of the catcher is similar to that of the wicket-keeper in cricket, positioned behind home plate, the catcher can see the whole field, and is therefore in the best position to direct and lead the other players in a defensive play. The catcher typically calls for using hand signals. The calls are based on the mechanics and strengths, as well as the batters tendencies and weaknesses. Foul tips, bouncing balls in the dirt, and contact with runners during plays at the plate are all events to be handled by the catcher and this includes a mask, chest and throat protectors, shin guards, and a heavily padded catchers mitt. The physical and mental demands of being involved on every defensive play can wear catchers down over a long season, because of the strategic defensive importance of catching, if a catcher has exceptional defensive skills, teams are often willing to overlook their relative offensive weaknesses. A knowledgeable catchers ability to work with the pitcher, via selection and location. Many great defensive catchers toiled in relative anonymity, because they did not produce large offensive numbers, notable examples of light-hitting, defensive specialists were, Ray Schalk, Jim Hegan, Jim Sundberg and Brad Ausmus. Schalks career batting average of.253 is the lowest of any player in the Baseball Hall of Fame. That he was selected for enshrinement in 1955 was largely a tribute to his defensive skills. Catchers are often able to play first base and less commonly third base, in the numbering system used to record baseball plays, the catcher is assigned the number 2. In the middle of the century, the game of baseball began to evolve from a sport played by amateurs for recreation into a more serious game played by professionals. One of the most dramatic changes was the transition of the delivery from an underhand motion to an overhanded throw. As the game progressed towards professionals and became serious, pitchers began to attempt to prevent the batter from hitting the ball by throwing faster pitches. With the introduction of the strike in 1858, catchers began inching closer to home plate due to the rules requirement that a strikeout could only be completed by a catch. These developments meant that catchers began to take on a defensive role

43.
First baseman
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First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that players team. A first baseman is the player on the team playing defense who fields the area nearest first base, in the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3. Also called first sacker or cornerman, the first baseman is ideally a tall player who throws left-handed and possesses good flexibility, flexibility is needed because the first baseman receives throws from the other infielders, the catcher and the pitcher after they have fielded ground balls. In order for the runner to be called out, the first baseman must be able to stretch towards the throw and they often are power hitters who have a substantial number of home runs and extra base hits while maintaining a.270 plus batting average. Good defensive first basemen, according to Bill James, are capable of playing off first base so that they can field ground balls hit to the side of first base. The first baseman then relies upon the pitcher to cover first base to receive the ball to complete the out, indications of a good defensive first baseman include a large number of assists and a low number of throwing errors by other infielders. The nature of play at first base often requires first basemen to stay close to the bag to hold runners or to reach the bag before the batter. First basemen are not typically expected to have the range required of a baseman, shortstop. As a result, first base is not usually perceived to be as physically demanding as other positions, however, it can also be a very hard position to play, a large amount of concentration and timing is required. Though many play at first base their entire career, it is common for players to be moved to first base in order to extend their careers or to accommodate other recently acquired players. Facing a possible trade or a reduction in playing time. Catchers and corner outfielders are often moved to first base due to deteriorating health or if their fielding abilities at their position are detrimental to the team. When first base is not occupied by a baserunner, the first baseman usually stands behind first base, the distance he plays from the base and foul line is dependent on the current hitter and any runners on base. The exact position may depend on the first basemans experience, preference. For a known right-handed pull hitter, the first baseman might position himself further towards the second basemans normal fielding position, for a known left-handed pull hitter, the first baseman will position himself closer to the foul line in order to stop a ball hit down the line. To protect against a bunt on the first base side of the infield, as soon as the pitcher commits to throwing towards home plate, the first basemen will charge towards the hitter to field the bunt. During these plays, it is the responsibility of the second basemen to cover first base, with a base runner present at first base, the first baseman stands with his right foot touching the base to prepare for a pickoff attempt. Once the pitcher commits to throwing towards home plate, the first baseman comes off the bag in front of the runner and gets in a fielding position

Chris Young pitching against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 16; he was working on a no-hitter but was later ejected from the game after he and Derrek Lee got into a fight that turned into a bench-clearing altercation.